KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



179 



There had been a shower early in the 

 morning ; but the sun came out laughingly 

 and looked down upon the dripping trees 

 and jewelled shrubbery, pledging to the earth 

 a glorious day. Freshly swept the sweet- 

 scented wind upward, after stooping momen- 

 tarily to the flowers and grass-blades ; and a 

 wild, joy-maddened burst of mingled melodies 

 went up from the woodland, as a crowd of 

 young birds started from their coverts and 

 winged their way Heaven-ward. 



It was a cool, delicious hour, and I went 

 in search of Cousin 'Bel, to inquire how it 

 should be spent. She was not to be found, 

 and, furthermore, I discovered that Walter 

 was missing, too. Leaning from the window, 

 I marked footprints on the wet grass, and 

 I followed to the garden. There were low, 

 confidential voices among the shrubbery, and 

 I hesitated to advance ; but, standing on tip- 

 toe, I managed To peep through a clump of 

 gooseberry bushes, and there saw — what 

 think you ? Why, Walter had brought me 

 home a choice, beautiful rose-bush, and he 

 had been extremely eloquent in his praises 

 of the magnificent flower. There came but 

 one bud upon it, and we had both of us 

 watched its daily growth with intense 

 interest ; and now what should Walter be 

 doing but bending that stem as rudely as 

 though it had been the commonest flower in 

 the world ! I bit ray lips severely, and filled 

 my hands with prickles in my efforts to keep 

 still ; for each moment I expected to see 

 my darling, carefully-watched rose-bud, sent 

 like a worthless pebble to the ground. But 

 no such thing. Walter knew well enough 

 what he was about. 



" Oh ! what an exquisite bud !" silenced 

 his evident scruples; and, before I could 

 have interfered if I had attempted it, the rich, 

 creamy-white of the bursting blossom was 

 mingling with the glossy sable that shaded 

 the brow of Cousin 'Bel. Walter's hand was 

 a little tremulous (well it might be, thieving 

 member that it was !) as he fastened the 

 pretty gift ; and 'Bel's face crimsoned — with 

 honest indignation at the shameless robbery, 

 no doubt. 



" So ho !" muttered I, as I gathered up my 

 dress in my hand, to prevent its rustling, and 

 stole noiselessly back to the house ; " so ho ! 

 Mr. Walter I our confidential clays are over, 

 eh !" 



I could not keep back one little tear — just 

 one, preceded and followed up by smiles ; 

 for I felt as though Walter had ill-treated 

 me — and 'Bel too ; and yet I could not, for 

 the life of me, have told any one in what 

 particular respect I conceived myself injured. 

 I did ask myself once or twice what right I 

 had to their secrets ; and though it was not 

 an easy question to answer, the sense of in- 

 jury still remained. My two cousins seemed 



to be so well entertained that my efforts 

 were quite out of the question ; so I drew on 

 my sleeved apron and tied my little morning, 

 cap closely under the chin, fully resolved to 

 delight my mother with the display of certain 

 domestic qualities more homely than useless. 

 Fifteen minutes by the clock had gone by 

 (for I was uneasy enough to mark well their 

 flight), when Cousin Walter came into the 

 kitchen with anything but his usual manly 

 air; and really I began to think he felt his 

 sin in the affair of the rose quite deeply 

 enough. He seemed hesitating how to broach 

 some difficult subject, and I had a great 

 mind to begin myself and tell him that it was 

 no matter at all, and even to withhold my 

 chiding for not having been duly informed 

 that he was falling in love with Cousin 'Bel. 

 But suddenly he found words : — 



" You are engaged, Fanny ?" 



" Not particularly ; if I am wanted else- 

 where." 



Walter stammered forth something that I 

 did not quite understand, and looked earnestly 

 out of the window. 



" You know, Walter, that I shall not allow 

 anything to take me from you and 'Bel." 



This remark was made just as my cousin 

 was turning to me again, and he drew back 

 disconcerted ; whilst I, not quite interpreting 

 his confusion, and yet judging that I had a 

 clue to it, proceeded very coolly to wipe pff 

 a row of glass tumblers and arrange them on 

 the waiter. Walter looked st me as though 

 he would say something, could he but receive 

 a single glance of encouragement or even 

 intelligence ; then turned to the window, 

 fidgeted with the tassel of his cap, and finally, 

 with a peculiarly hesitating, hitching sort of 

 step, proceeded irresolutely to the door. I 

 waited till he was within a step of the thres- 

 hold ; and then, with a light laugh, sprang 

 before him, putting both hands in his — 



" Speak out, Walter, — what is it 7" 



" Confound it, Fan ! nothing worth choking 

 about. But it is a glorious day for a gallop 

 on horseback, and you know yours is the 

 only decent beast for a lady in all the country 

 round." 



" And so you want me to ride with you ? 

 I shall be extremely happy to accommodate 

 you, cousin." 



Oh ! how Walter's astonished eyes stared 

 at such a display of obtuseness! 



" Cousin 'Bel will find no difficulty in 

 amusing herself for just the little time we 

 shall be gone, and then — " 



Walter, with a very preposterous laugh, 

 seized my shoulders, and shook them 

 heartily ; then, joining the hands that were 

 trying with all their might to push his away, 

 he gave them at least half-a-dozen kisses; 

 and, with a confused melange, in which the 

 words, "mischievous," "sweet," " ingenious," 



